System comprising providing means for providing data to a user

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a system comprising providing means for providing data, electing means for electing one or more parameters associated to said data, assessment means for assessing at least one characteristic of at least one of said elected parameter, and a lighting system for office rooms which comprises one or more light sources, the lighting system being capable of emitting light of different characteristic to the office room. The system is configured such that the characteristic of the light emitted to the office room is changed depending on the characteristic of the elected parameter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system comprising providing means forproviding data to a user.

It is known from the prior art to present a large number of data on adisplay of a computer such as economical data, technical data etc. Thedata may be arranged in a table comprising a number of columns as wellas a number of lines.

Frequently such tables or any other arrays of data contain data as wellas a lot of information related to different aspects of the data so thatit might be difficult to maintain an overview and to make a quickassessment of the data, especially in case of a high number of data.Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/202,882 named “systemcomprising providing means for providing data to a user” provides asolution to enable such quick assessment.

Even if a quick assessment of the data on the screen is possible, theinformation is only displayed on the screen and the impact of thequality of the data to the user may be limited. Against this backgroundit would be desirable to provide a system allowing an operator toexperience the quality of the data in a more intense and innovative way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The system of the present invention comprises providing means forproviding data. These providing means may be a server connected over theinternet or intranet, a computer or any other source of data.

The system further comprises election means for electing a parameterassociated with said one or more of said data (the parameter may be themagnitude of one of the data itself). Accordingly there may be exactlyone or at least one most important characteristic, such as thedevelopment of the turnover value, the characteristics of which isassessed by the assessment means. This elected parameter may be fixed ormay be electable by a user or the system. In the latter case the usercan decide which parameter shall be assessed so as to experience thequality of the elected data.

The system further comprises assessment means for assessing at least onecharacteristic of elected parameter. This assessment may be made forexample by a comparison between the elected parameter and a referencevalue, e.g., a previous year value, the absolute value or the relativevalue of said elected parameter.

The system further comprises a lighting system for office rooms whichcomprises one or more light sources, the lighting system being capableof emitting light of different characteristic, e.g. different colorand/or brightness to the office room.

The lighting system is coupled to the assessment means. The system isconfigured such that the characteristic of the light emitted to theoffice room is changed depending on a characteristic of the electedparameter.

Accordingly, the present invention is based on the idea to experiencethe quality of the elected parameter in an intense way by adapting thecolor and brightness of the office room light. This is oriented on theconcept of so-called mood lighting. The office room may be lighted bythe lighting system only. The inventive system may effect that theoffice room is bathed in different colors or brightness depending on thecharacteristic of the elected parameter.

For example, the lighting system may be adapted so as to emit light of acertain color, such as red, if the elected parameter has a certainnegative characteristic, such as a decrease of a turnover value, and toemit light of another color, such as blue, if the elected parameter hasa certain positive characteristics, such as an increase of sales etc.The same may apply not only for the color of light, such as red or blue,but as well for any characteristic of the light, such as the brightnessof the light. Accordingly, for example an increase in sales is alwayslinked to blue light, however, the brightness and/or color intensity ofthe light may be dependent on the actual number of the sales. Similarly,for example losses are always linked to red light, however, thebrightness and/or color intensity of the light may be dependent on theactual number of losses.

In any case, the lighting system allows a user which resides in theoffice room to immediately experience the quality of selected orparticularly important information even if a large number of data isavailable.

Suitable parameters encompass turnover values, sales, profits or losses.It may also be stock prices or stock market developments such as the DowJones development.

The characteristic of said light may be the brightness of the color orlight. Accordingly it is possible to characterize a very negativecharacteristic with a dark red color and dimmed light and a slightlynegative characteristic with a bright red color and brighter light etc.Furthermore the characteristic of said light may be flashing light orlight rapidly changing color or brightness.

The system may further comprise a display means to illustrate aplurality of data and/or parameters to a user. The display means maycomprise any kind of display and components which are required topresent the data visibly to the user. The display means may be analogous(e.g., a blackboard) or digital (e.g., a screen).

The characteristic of the elected parameter may be a deviation from areference value, the position of said elected parameter in a range ofparameters, the absolute value of said elected parameter, or a prognosisof said elected parameter.

Said range may be defined by a number of previous parameters which areobtained over a certain period of time. Accordingly, it is possible todefine a certain period of time, such as 12 month and to identify therange of the elected parameter between the maximum and the minimum whichhave been obtained during this period of time. In a next step theactual, i.e. elected parameter may be assessed by identifying theposition of the elected parameter within said range. Based on thisposition the characteristic of the light may be elected.

Said reference value or said range may be the value of the sameparameter (such as turnover) which has been obtained at a previous pointof time (such as 12 months ago) or in a previous time period (such asthe last quarter of a year). Accordingly, the characteristic of thelight may be dependent on the absolute value or may be dependent onanother value which has been obtained in the past, such as in areference time point or reference time interval. Alternatively, thecharacteristic of the light may be dependent on the location of thecurrent parameter within a range of previous parameters.

For example a light blue light of high brightness indicates that theparameter is the best or one of the best which has been obtained in thelast 12 months (for example the data is located in the best third). Forexample a dark red light of low brightness indicates that the parameteris one of the worst which has been obtained in the last 12 months (forexample the data is located in the worst third).

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the characteristicof at least one of said elected parameters is the kind of parameter.Accordingly, it is possible to always use the light of the same colorfor one specific elected parameter, e.g. blue light for profits and redlight for costs, regardless of its absolute or relative value.

Furthermore, the elected parameter may be split into sub-parameters(such as parameter per employee, region or similar), and thecharacteristic of light is elected depending on the value of saidsub-parameter. For example, if a turnover value is available for each ofthe regions north, east, south and west, the user may elect one of theregions, such as north, and the characteristic of the light is dependenton the value of the according sub-parameter (such as the turnover valuefor the region north). The mechanism of separating a parameter (such as“region”) into a plurality of parameters (such as “north, east, south,west”) should by independent on any other manipulation of the data madeby a user, such as separating any other parameter into sub-parameters.

The election of a parameter (or sub-parameter) may be performed by amouse click or by pressing a key of the keyboard or by moving the mousecursor on a display screen to said parameter (without pressing any key).This allows a user to quickly assess the parameters by simply moving themouse cursor over a screen.

Alternatively, a user may point to different items of a physical boardor data illustration, such as a blackboard, a physical icon and thelike.

The light system may comprise any light source available on the market.It is preferred that the individual light sources are capable ofproducing light of different characteristic, e.g., light of differentcolor or brightness. This avoids having to use one light source forevery light characteristic. However, some light systems may comprise aplurality of different colored LEDs, e.g., red and blue LEDs which areindividually or collectively emit light.

The light system can be the only light source in the office room and canbe switched between normal mode (constant light of neutral color) andmood lighting.

The lighting system may be adapted so as to provide only two colorsand/or degrees of brightness of light, wherein, e.g., the two colors maybe blue and red. Of course the use of a higher number of colors and/ordegrees of brightness is conceivable and part of the invention as well.

Against the background rendered in the introductory portion, theinvention further provides a method of illustrating the quality ofbusiness data to a user, the method comprising

-   (a) providing data;-   (b) electing one or more parameters associated to said data;-   (c) assessing at least one characteristic of at least one of said    elected parameter; and-   (d) emitting light of different characteristic to the office room    depending on the characteristic of the elected parameter.

Further optional details to the method correspond to the optionaldetails explained in connection with the system of the invention.

Still further, the invention relates to using the system of theinvention to illustrate the quality of business data to a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent byway of the example and figures described in the following. The figuresshow:

FIG. 1: schematic illustration of a system according to the invention;and

FIG. 2: picture of an office room equipped with a system according tothe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The Figure illustrates a system according to the present invention whichcomprises a computer 1 connected to the intranet via connection 2.Business data are provided to the computer via the intranet. Thecomputer comprises a touchscreen 3 on which the business data areillustrated.

A user 4 giving a presentation can elect a certain parameter (e.g.,revenue) on the touchscreen such that the elected parameter is exposedon the screen 3 for review.

In addition to exposing the elected parameters, the computer 1 assessesat least one characteristic (e.g., development as compared to last year)of the elected parameter and based thereon evaluates whether theparameter is good or bad news.

The computer is connected to a lighting system 5 which acts as the onlylight source to the office room and provides bright colorless light instandard mode when mood lighting is deactivated. The system is alsocapable of providing light of alternative colors (e.g., blue and red)and higher or lower brightness to the office room. In case the optionmood lighting is activated, the lighting of the office room will not bebright and colorless but will be chosen depending on whether theparameter is good or bad news based thereon. In case the revenue isworse than the year before, e.g., the color of light will be chosen redand the brightness will decrease.

FIG. 2 illustrates an office room 21 within an office building. On awall 22 of the room there are mounted a number of large displays 23 withtouch screen function. The displays 23 illustrate certain data 24, e.g.,revenue data for specific regions or fields of business. An employee ormanager passing the screen or using the screen to demonstrate certaindevelopments to co-workers may elect one set of data by touching thescreen 24. An assessment means assesses the quality of the elected dataand provides information to the lighting system of the room (not shown).According to the quality of the data, the ambient light of the room ischanged.

One embodiment of the invention may be demonstrated by way of thefollowing example.

Illustrated on a display means of a system according to the inventionare a number of absolute and relative turnover values obtained betweenJanuary and September of a year, e.g., for different products or areasof technology. The display means further illustrates a forecast for theturnover for the rest of the year, i.e. for the months October toDecember. On a certain location on the display means there is furtherillustrated a list of different conditions, such as, for example,region.

The user can elect one of the parameters (e.g., product or area oftechnology) and possibly also an additional condition (e.g., region).

The development and/or the forecast of the resulting sub-parameter arethen displayed on the screen.

According to the invention, there is an assessment means whichautomatically determines whether the value of the elected sub-parameteris good or bad news, and how good or bad the news is. Assessment can bedone, for example, by comparison of the sub-parameter with a threshold,by a comparison with the value of the same sub-parameter one year (orany other period of time) ago etc., by assessing the position of thevalue within a range of sub-parameters etc. The range of sub-parametersmay be between the lowest and the highest parameter value in a referencetime period, such as within the last year etc.

In addition to showing the data on the display, the system according tothe invention provides for a lighting system, which changes color andbrightness of the office room lighting depending on the outcome of theassessment. For example, in case the elected sub-parameter is worse thanexpected, worse than last year or the like, the brightness of the officeroom lighting decreases and the color of the office room lighting turnsred. This allows all people which are inside the respective office roomto physically experience the quality of the elected sub-parameter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for emitting light, comprising acomputer for receiving data, electing one or more parameters associatedwith the data, and assessing at least one characteristic of the one ormore parameters; and a lighting system connected to the computer andcomprising one or more light sources, the lighting system configured toemit light of different characteristics; wherein the computer determinesa characteristic of the light based on an assessed result on thecharacteristic of the one or more parameters and controls the lightingsystem to operate in a mood lighting mode where the lighting systememits the light with the determined characteristic based on the assessedresult on the characteristic of the one or more parameters, wherein thecomputer controls the lighting system to emit colorless light to alocation in a standard mode when the mood lighting mode is deactivated,wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is divided into atleast one sub-parameter, the at least one sub-parameter defining anadditional condition to the at least one of the one or more parameters,the additional condition being related to at least one of a region,employee, office or timeframe, and wherein the characteristic of thelight is changed depending on an assessed result on a characteristic ofthe at least one sub-parameter.
 2. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a display to illustrate at least one of the data and the oneor more parameters to a user.
 3. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a user interface connected to the computer and configured toreceive the parameter in response to a user command.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the characteristic of the light is selected from thegroup consisting of the brightness of the light, color of the light andcolor intensity of the light.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thecomputer is configured to assess the characteristic of the parameterupon comparison between the elected parameter and a reference value. 6.The system of claim 5, wherein the reference value is the value of thesame parameter obtained at a previous point of time or in a previoustime period.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter is selectedfrom the group consisting of turnover values, sales numbers, profits orlosses.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured toelect the sub-parameter in response to a user command.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the computer is configured to assess the characteristicof the sub-parameter upon comparison between the elected sub-parameterand a reference value.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the referencevalue is the value of the same sub-parameter obtained at a previouspoint of time or in a previous time period.
 11. Use of a system of claim1 to illustrate the quality of business data to a user.
 12. A method ofillustrating the quality of business data to a user, the methodcomprising the steps of receiving data at a computer; electing by thecomputer one or more parameters associated with said data; assessing bythe computer at least one characteristic of at least one of said electedparameters; determining a characteristic of light to be emitted by alighting system, based on an assessed result on the characteristic ofthe elected parameter; controlling the lighting system to operate in amood lighting mode where the lighting system emits the light with thedetermined characteristic based on assessed result on the characteristicof the elected parameter, wherein the computer controls the lightingsystem to emit colorless light to a location in a standard mode when themood lighting mode is deactivated, wherein at least one of the one ormore parameters is divided into at least one sub-parameter, the at leastone sub-parameter defining an additional condition to the at least oneof the one or more parameters, the additional condition being related toat least one of a region, employee, office or timeframe, and wherein thecharacteristic of the light is changed depending on an assessed resulton a characteristic of the at least one sub-parameter.